The Full Mediator Role of Job Satisfaction in Relationship between Job Characteristics and Health Outcomes in Hospital Nurses: A New Conceptual Model

AbstractThe purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of job characteristics on the mental and physical health considering to mediating role of job satisfaction. Survey respondents include 311 hospital nurses from 6 units that were selected by simple random sampling method. Results using structural equation modelling (SEM) showed that job satisfaction (JR) is the full mediator of relationship between job characteristic and mental and physical health. While, by removing job satisfaction effect, theses relations will be meaningfulness. These findings highlighted the job satisfaction role as a key occupational attitude that can change the effects of job characteristic on the health outcomes of hospital nurses. Discussion and implications of the results are presented in the study

Quantitative and Qualitative Job Insecurity: Outcomes and Moderators in Iran, Belgium, and U.S.

Job insecurity as an occupational stressor has been influencing the well-being of employees for some decades. Most of the studies have acknowledged the detrimental impact of this stressor on employees and organizations. Job insecurity can be divided into quantitative and qualitative job insecurity. Quantitative job insecurity is the overall concern of an employee toward the continued existence of his/her job in the future. Qualitative job insecurity is the concern of employees about losing valuable characteristics of their job in the future. In this Ph.D. thesis we attempt to replicate the impact of job insecurity on a wide range of well-being related outcomes across Iran, Belgium and the U.S. Also, we explore how the cognitive appraisals of job insecurity, namely hindrance and challenge appraisals, and employee\u2019s attitudes such as boundaryless career orientation moderate the association between job insecurity and these outcomes. To achieve the above goals, this thesis consists of five chapters and five studies in which the association between both job insecurity and various well-being related outcomes are discussed. Chapter I is a general introduction on the studied outcomes, moderators, samples, and theories used in this thesis. Also, this chapter presents some information about the five studies in more detail. Chapter II includes study 1 and 2. In these two studies, we investigate the association between quantitative job insecurity and two popular well-being related outcomes in Belgium and Iran. Moreover, in this chapter, we test the extent to which cognitive appraisals of job insecurity can affect the association between quantitative job insecurity and these outcomes. Chapter III includes only study 3. In this study, we detect the association between qualitative job insecurity and two categorizations of well-being related outcomes, namely psychological outcomes, and behavioral outcomes, in Iran. Chapter IV contains study 4 and 5. In these two studies, we attempt to replicate the negative association between quantitative job insecurity and well-being related outcomes in terms of job strains and coping reactions. Furthermore, we test the extent to which boundaryless career orientation can moderate the link between quantitative job insecurity and these outcomes. All five studies are theoretically based on cognitive appraisal theory. However, we use conservation of resources theory as a supplementary theory to further explain our findings. Chapter V is added to discuss, explain, and elaborate our findings in more detail. In addition, it proposes some research and practical recommendations

The relationship between transformational leadership and work engagement in governmental hospitals nurses: a survey study

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of transformational leadership and its components on work engagement among hospital nurses. There are a few set of researches that have focused on the effects of transformational leadership on work engagement in nurses. A descriptive, correlational, cross-sectional design was used. In this study, 240 nurses have been chosen by stratified random sampling method which filled related self-reported scales include multifactor leadership questionnaire (MLQ) and work engagement scale. Data analysis has been exerted according to the statistical method of simple and multiple correlation coefficients. Findings indicated that the effect of this type of leadership on work engagement and its facets is positive and significant. In addition, the research illustrates that transformational leaders transfer their enthusiasm and high power to their subordinates by the way of modeling. This manner can increase the power as a component of work engagement in workers. Idealized influence among these leaders can result in forming a specific belief among employees toward those leaders and leaders can easily transmit their inspirational motivation to them. Consequently, it leads to make a positive vision by which, and by setting high standards, challenges the employees and establishes zeal along with optimism for attaining success in works. regarding to the results we will expand leadership and work engagement literature in hospital nurses. Also, we conclude with theoretical and practical implications and propose a clear horizon for future researches

Work–family conflict based on strain: The most hazardous type of conflict in Iranian hospitals nurses

Orientation: Work and family conflicts continuously and negatively affect employees' performance. Previous research has mostly studied the impact of the two distinct dimensions of work–family conflict (WFC) and family–work conflict (FWC) on health outcomes, whereas the impact of more specific dimensions of these two general types of conflict on health outcomes is little known. Therefore, we now need to also measure the impact of more specified types of these conflicts on health outcomes.Research purpose: The purpose of this study was to propose a causal model of the effects of six different types of WFC (time, strain and behaviour) and FWC (time, strain and behaviour) on the mental and physical health of hospital nurses to identify the most hazardous type of conflict they faced.Motivation for the study: This research was conducted to outline which specific type of WFC or FWC is able to act as the strongest antecedent of mental and physical health in nurses.Research design, approach and method: Three hundred and eleven nurses from six hospitals were selected by simple random sampling. Data were collected using a Carlson WFC scale as well as an SF-36 mental–physical health scale based on a cross-sectional research design. The data were analysed using structural equation modelling and SPSS.Main findings: The final model showed that, firstly, the effects of WFC types (time, strain and behaviour) on health outcomes were much greater than the effects of FWC types (time, strain and behaviour). Secondly, WFC and FWC based on strain were stronger predictors of health outcomes. Finally, strain-based WFC was identified to be the most hazardous type of conflict in our study.Practical implications: These findings can be employed by hospital managers to block all the potential factors that may increase strain-based WFC in the workplace. Moreover, this study helps hospitals to use special educational programs directed at reducing strain-based WFC.Contribution/value-add: This research clearly revealed that a specific type of WFC may more likely influence the health situation of nurses.Keywords: WFC-Based on Strain; mental health; physical health; hospital nurse

The Effect of Spiritual Intelligence Training on the Indicators of Mental Health in Iranian Students: An Experimental Study

AbstractMental health of students is one of the important issues in psychology, psychiatry and sociology and that is viewed as one of the main responsibilities of teachers and trainers. Recently the structure of spiritual intelligence as a component of mental health is a concept that emanates in light of interest in the field of psychology of religion and spirituality. This experimental study aimed to determine the effect of spiritual intelligence training on the indicators of mental health situation of Iranian students. To get sampling, we used a Multi-Stage Cluster method and high school students were randomly assigned to the two groups of control (n=30) and experiment (n=28). Experimental group was involved in seven weekly sessions of intervention by spiritual intelligence training and the control group received no intervention. The pre-test and post-test data were collected by the SCL-90-R scale. Results in the pre-test and post-test showed that spiritual intelligence as a key intervention decreased interpersonal sensitivity, somatization, obsessive-compulsive, depression, anxiety, aggression, phobic, paranoid ideation, and psychoticism in experimental group in compared with the control group. These experimental findings supported this notion that spiritual intelligence training as a new psychological and religious construction is able to decrease psychological disasters and to improve the experienced level of mental health among high school students

Quantitative and Qualitative Job Insecurity: Outcomes and Moderators in Iran, Belgium, and U.S.

Job insecurity as an occupational stressor has been influencing the well-being of employees for some decades. Most of the studies have acknowledged the detrimental impact of this stressor on employees and organizations. Job insecurity can be divided into quantitative and qualitative job insecurity. Quantitative job insecurity is the overall concern of an employee toward the continued existence of his/her job in the future. Qualitative job insecurity is the concern of employees about losing valuable characteristics of their job in the future. In this Ph.D. thesis we attempt to replicate the impact of job insecurity on a wide range of well-being related outcomes across Iran, Belgium and the U.S. Also, we explore how the cognitive appraisals of job insecurity, namely hindrance and challenge appraisals, and employee’s attitudes such as boundaryless career orientation moderate the association between job insecurity and these outcomes. To achieve the above goals, this thesis consists of five chapters and five studies in which the association between both job insecurity and various well-being related outcomes are discussed. Chapter I is a general introduction on the studied outcomes, moderators, samples, and theories used in this thesis. Also, this chapter presents some information about the five studies in more detail. Chapter II includes study 1 and 2. In these two studies, we investigate the association between quantitative job insecurity and two popular well-being related outcomes in Belgium and Iran. Moreover, in this chapter, we test the extent to which cognitive appraisals of job insecurity can affect the association between quantitative job insecurity and these outcomes. Chapter III includes only study 3. In this study, we detect the association between qualitative job insecurity and two categorizations of well-being related outcomes, namely psychological outcomes, and behavioral outcomes, in Iran. Chapter IV contains study 4 and 5. In these two studies, we attempt to replicate the negative association between quantitative job insecurity and well-being related outcomes in terms of job strains and coping reactions. Furthermore, we test the extent to which boundaryless career orientation can moderate the link between quantitative job insecurity and these outcomes. All five studies are theoretically based on cognitive appraisal theory. However, we use conservation of resources theory as a supplementary theory to further explain our findings. Chapter V is added to discuss, explain, and elaborate our findings in more detail. In addition, it proposes some research and practical recommendations.nrpages: 153status: publishe

Preference for Complexity and Asymmetry Contributes to an Ability to Overcome Structured Imagination: Implications for Creative Perception Paradigm

The study is a part of a research project, which explores the role of creative perception in creative behavior. We operationalized creative behavior as an ability to overcome structured imagination, as measured by the Invented Alien Creature test, and operationalized creative perception as a preference for complexity and asymmetry, which we assessed using a standard Barron–Welsh Art Scale. Our group of participants was composed of ninety-three undergraduate students from the United Arab Emirates. The degree to which one preferred complexity and asymmetry measurably contributed to their ability to overcome structured imagination. This finding adds another brick to the rising seventh pillar of the creativity construct, namely, creative perception. The article provides a first sketch of the creative perception paradigm

Agent-Based Modeling Method: New Linkage of Computer Science and Organizational Psychology

The aim of the present work is to evaluate and report about the development of Agent-Based Modeling (ABM) for research, education and consultancy inside organizational psychology. Agent-Based Models (ABMs) are a simulation modelling technique that uses virtual agents interacting with other virtual agents within a virtual environment and with certain virtual resources (Bonabeau, 2002). Starting from two proposals published in 2012, one by Weinhardt and Vancouver, who stated that computer simulations are not very common in this field, and the other one by Hughes, Clegg, Robinson and Crowder, who stressed the advantages of using this research method, we assessed how widespread this technique is in the field of organizational psychology. In the last few years, following the levels of the cognitive modelling suggested by Sun, Coward and Zenzen (2005), some ABMs have been developed in order to carry out some organizational studies. Nevertheless, they tend to work at a high level of abstraction but generally overlooking interactions and do not make use of some ready-to-use agent architectures (e.g. BDI, reactive). Even if they have started to be considered for organizational studies, computational simulations, particularly ABMs, still require work and effort in order to be fully acknowledged as a valid research method to be used inside organizational psychology. As for any other research method, their real effectiveness must be proven before deciding to use it in a massive way

The effect of School Engagement on Health Risk Behaviours among High School Students: Testing the Mediating Role of Self-Efficacy

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect school engagement on health risk behaviors, as well as to test the mediating roleof self-efficacy in the relationship between school engagement and health risk behaviors. Participants were 250 studentsattending a secondary school level. Using the method of correlational and regression analysis, the results showed that school engagement has a positive impact on reducing the health risk behaviors. Moreover, regression analysis revealed that self-efficacy plays partial mediator role in the relationship between School engagement and health risk behaviors. These findings highlight the importance of school Engagement and the students' personal effectiveness perception in limiting health risk behaviors

The relationship between the big five personality traits and job performance in business workers and employees\u2019 perception

The paper reports the results of a study on the relationship between the Big Five personality traits and job performance carried out by surveying business workers and employees perception instead of passing through the computation of possibly faked (and biased) correlation coefficients between them. The sample is composed of 100 Italian workers and employees. They were surveyed with three methods: a semi-structured interview; the request to assess the relative importance of each Big Five for job performance (further investigation was carried out with 21 human resource managers and recruiters); the request to fill in the Big Five Questionnaire having in mind a best performer. Results show that, not completely consistent with literature, in workers and employees\u2019 perception, to make the difference in job performance is mainly a behavioral trait (Conscientiousness or Extraversion). Emotional Stability is recognized to be the second most important Big Five. Agreeableness and Openness do not seem to make much difference in job performance